Thursday, July 31, 2014

Blog Tour, Giveaway, Review: Break the Sky by Nina Lane

Break the Sky by Nina Lane photo BreakTheSky-Final-Front-71514-1400pxwide_zpse48375a5.jpg 

  Title: Break the Sky 
  Author: Nina Lane 
  Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance 18 + 
  Publish Date: July 29, 2014 
  Publisher: Snow Queen Publishing 
  ISBN: 0990532461 (ISBN13: 9780990532460)  

 ~Synopsis~
 
“Do you ever let go, storm girl?” he asked. “Ever lose control? Ever surrender?”

“Never,” I whispered. “I never surrender.”

A smile of both promise and warning curved his beautiful mouth.

“You will.”

Atmospheric scientist Kelsey March is under siege. Her tornado research project is on the skids and she’s fighting conflict in her university department. So when irresistible bad boy Archer West suggests a hot, wild fling while he’s in town, Kelsey is unable to resist his sexy offer.

Kelsey and Archer embark on a intense, exhilarating affair. But soon their differences and private battles encroach on their desire, and Kelsey discovers she is caught in a storm she can’t control...

BREAK THE SKY is a standalone Spiral of Bliss spin-off novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane.
 

Goodreads

   

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes

 
My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:


“Everything changed after that.  And everything stayed the same.” 

“My heart flipped just like the coin – a wild seamless spin flashing silver.  I felt my heart suspend in mid-air for an instant, poised to drop, and I had the sudden, irrational sense that it too, could fall right into the palm of his hand.”

My Review:


I rarely give 5 star ratings - as I feel that standard should be reserved for only the exceptional masterpieces.  That being said - this book deserves 6!   This book is exquisite!  I had never read Nina Lane’s work before picking up Break the Sky, but have plans to seek out her entire catalog.  I know I am a bit old for the position - but am now her total fan-girl.  Each paragraph held a treasure.  The story and characters were complex and beautifully written, yet easy to follow and adore.  

Ms Lane's writing is rich with texture and detail.  I could smell and taste the bacon, I could hear the rain and storms raging, I grew tense and upset when they did, I was exhausted when they were depleted, I let out my held breath when they breathed a sigh of relief.  I think I may even have been swaying while they danced… To say I was totally involved or captivated… sounds trite.  I was enthralled - and I loved every minute of it!  Her love scenes were emotional and passionate, as well as sensual - which I adore.  Although Ms. Lane’s writing squeezed my heart and brought me to tears several times, this book was a delicious treat beginning to end.  I know I will be thinking and raving about this one for quite some time.  
Empress DJ



About the Author

Nina Lane Author photo NinaLane-BampW_zps5fea952b.jpg 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she loves traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Nina also spent many years in graduate school studying art history and library sciences. Although she would go back for another degree if she could because she's that much of a bookworm, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer. Nina's novel The Erotic Dark hit #1 on Amazon's Erotica Bestseller list. Spice Box box set which included Arouse was #6 on the New York Times Bestseller list and #13 in USA Today.

Connect with the Author

Remember to sign up for Nina’s Newsletter so you never miss a exclusive news.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

 
WRITER’S CORNER

I write at a small, Amish-made oak desk set up in a corner of our living room. I have a big-screen Mac computer that I love more than chocolate, and I’m usually surrounded by books, papers, pens, and scribbled notes. I like the space because it’s close to the kitchen and the rest of the downstairs (so I can duck away for a few minutes at a time, if needed).

I have several favorite paintings on the walls above my computer (one painting was done by my mother, which is particularly special), and art that my children have created. The room has a big window that lets in a lot of light, and two of the walls are covered with built-in bookshelves (all stuffed with books!). I like to write in complete silence whenever possible, so I don’t listen to music or have the TV on.

This is pretty much the only space I write, though I’ve been known to sit on the family room sofa with a laptop every now and then. I don’t go out to cafés or libraries to write like some other authors do—my favorite place to write is at home where it’s peaceful and quiet and where my characters and I can sit around drinking tea and discussing what happens next.


NINA LANE’S RECIPE FOR A HOT ROMANCE


The first ingredient in the recipe would have to be a sizzling physical attraction! Add a hefty dose of conflict and stir the pot with a bunch of compelling reasons why the couple cannot be together.

Turn up the heat. Turn it up again. Turn it up a third time, and pour in cupfuls of needs, wishes, wants, and desires that the hero and the heroine fulfill in each other. Toss in an adversary whom the couple must battle. Oh, and turn that heat up yet another few degrees. Bake for about 85,000 words and serve with a piping hot helping of true love and a dessert of happily-ever-after.


Blitz, Giveaway: Tortured by Kate Givans














Tortured (Tortured, #1) by Kate Givans
 A contemporary romantic drama about loss, healing, and love's ability to reach beyond scars and secrets, no matter how deep or hidden.
WARNING: This book is intended for 18+ readers ONLY. Potentially triggering content and concepts in books to follow.
More than a year after the death of his best friend, Josh is still tormented by the past. Everything changes when free-spirited Willow barges into his life. She challenges him, helps him feel something other than the overwhelming pain, sadness, and anger.
There’s just one problem.
Underneath that carefree spirit, Willow is elusive and secretive. Josh believes she may be fighting a few demons of her own, but he harder he tries to uncover the truth, the more she pushes him away.
Can Josh get her to open up before it’s too late? Or will he discover that some secrets are better left untold?


 Excerpt
I made my way out into the store, taking my time as I browsed the narrow aisles.  I flipped through the small music collection. I’d never been a fan of Country Classics, but it was about the only thing you could find in hole-in-the-wall fill stations out here. I moved to the maps of Kansas, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. Thumbing through them, I wondered just how different one Midwest state really is from the next. After that, I made my way down the aisle of strange gas station knick knacks, hats, knives and t-shirts. I took my time to look at everything, but wasn’t really looking for anything in particular. I just needed to pass some time.
“Can I help ya’ find somethin’, sugar?” Loletta called from behind the counter.
That was my cue.
I headed over to the coffee station, grabbed a cup, and filled it with half dark roast and half hot chocolate. As I made my way to the register, I snagged a bag of peanuts and a couple cans of ravioli, taking care to not spill hot liquid down my front. As she rang up my purchase, I did my best to avoid staring at the mid-40’s cashier. I doubted anyone had ever told her that all that blue and red makeup made her look like a clown, but I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to break the news.
“That’ll be $6.85, sugar,” she said with a loud snap of her gum.
Not bothering with the small chat, I pulled out a ten dollar bill. I was just about to hand it over when I heard a familiar voice. I couldn’t tell what it had said, but the breezy, tinkling sound registered instantly. Only, it sounded like something was wrong.
Craning my neck towards the exit, I tried to see what all the commotion was about, but the backside of a police officer obstructed my view. I found myself being pulled in the direction of the doorway, but I wasn’t sure why.
“Hey!” Loletta called from behind me. “Ain’t ya gonna pay for your stuff?”
“I...uh...forgot something,” I answered over my shoulder, dismissing her with a distracted wave of my hand as I made my way closer to the last aisle of the store. When I rounded the large display of magazines, my suspicions were confirmed. It was her, the girl that had tormented my thoughts for days.
Willow.
Grabbing a magazine from the display rack, I opened it and pretended to read while eavesdropping on the conversation happening just a few feet away from me. At first, I was worried that she’d notice me, but her watery blue eyes were fixed on the officer in front of her as she gnawed at her bottom lip, strands of hair clinging to her tear-stained cheeks.
She looked like a little girl standing next to the six-odd food Officer Warren. She even sounded a little like one when she spoke. “I wasn’t stealing, I swear.”
But Officer Warren didn’t seem convinced. “Look, Miss, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way, you come with me quietly. The hard way…” He uncrossed his arms, brushing the shiny metal handcuffs attached to his side.
I didn’t think. I just reacted. “Excuse me, Officer?”
He hesitated for just a moment, as if afraid Willow might flee if he took her eyes off of her – not that she could with his massive frame blocking the doorway. He was so tall that even I cowered a bit when he finally turned his head in my direction, a strained smile plastered on his face.
“Josh?”
“Sorry to interrupt, but um…she’s with me.”
Turning the rest of his body towards me, he cocked a suspecting eyebrow and returned his chubby arms to their former location – his massive chest. “You know this girl?” He jutted a thumb in Willow’s direction.
“Yes, sir. I do,” I responded without hesitation, hoping he couldn’t see how hard I was working at swallowing the massive lump of fear in my throat.
He gave a low grunt. “Well, maybe you can tell me why she felt the need to lift a box of tampons.”
I shot Willow a quick glance over the officer’s shoulder, looking for the validity of his statement. Pleading blue eyes, guilt-ridden face, and a pink box of feminine products tucked under her arm said it all.
What had I gotten myself into?

Playlist:
Get Scared, Built for Blame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k82La8Lkra8
3 Doors Down, So Far Down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDK5qGlLT8s
The Fray, How to Save a Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjVQ36NhbMk
Jasmine Thomspon, Everybody Hurts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWGL3SbhLDQ
Goo Goo Dolls, Before It’s Too Late: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtSAIhP1-5s
Sick Puppies, All the Same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs72v-2zjsg
Evanescence, Bring Me to Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM
Little Green Cars, The John Wayne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJEVkuNsEi0
Breaking Benjamin, Diary of Jane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWaB4PXCwFU
Lynard Skynard, Free Bird: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np0solnL1XY
Goo Goo Dolls, Here is Gone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNtN83-vQmw
The Fray, Never Say Never: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aihu16RyYp8
 Author Bio:

Quirky, clumsy, and always a little off-key, Kate Givans has always loved books and the words contained within. Now that she’s writing the stories, she’s filling them with broken characters, angst, and even a few of those happily-ever-afters that seem to evade us in real life.
When not writing, this gypsy-hearted wife and mother of five can be found guzzling coffee, day-dreaming, dancing for no reason at all, playing with the voices in her head, watching her favorite shows (Originals, Grey’s, OUAT, The Following), listening to music, and reminding herself to “breathe.”
Connect with Kate Givans:

 GIVEAWAY
 (1) ebook copy of Tortured. Open internationally.
Simply comment on this post to enter



Blitz, Giveaway: Ruined by Marian Cheatham


Ruined by Marian Cheatham 
Publication date: Summer 2014
Genres: Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

When your life has been ruined by lies, do you seek justice … or revenge?

Blythe Messina spends her senior year focused on her studies and college, and not on her ex, Stratford High’s lacrosse star, DB Whitmore. At least, that’s what Blythe keeps telling herself. But her younger cousin, Bonni, knows otherwise. Same goes for DB, who professes to be over Blythe and their breakup, but his teammates aren’t fooled.

When scandalous photos of Bonni and the lacrosse captain are texted around Stratford, Bonni’s virtuous reputation is ruined. She pleads innocence, but no one believes her. No one, except Blythe and DB, who come together to uncover the truth. But, will they stay together?

Ruined is a modern twist on a classic Shakespearean romance.

“Deceit, loyalty, honor, and romance–Ruined has it all! A teen version of Much Ado  About Nothing that Shakespeare aficionados are sure to savor!”
Kym Brunner, Author of Wanted: Dead or in Love & One Smart Cookie




AUTHOR BIO


Marian Cheatham was born in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Marian taught special education in Cicero, Illinois for several years before becoming a full-time writer.

Currently, I'm writing a new young adult novel series, Stratford High; contemporary retellings of Shakespeare's plays set in the fictional high school. Ruined, book one in the series, due out spring 2014, is inspired by Much Ado About Nothing. Book two, due out fall 2014, is based on The Merchant of Venice. Book three is due out winter 2015.

On my Facebook author page, wwww.facebook.com/mariancheatham.author, I write a weekly post called the Everyday Eastland with facts and stories, both historical and current, about Chicago's greatest loss-of-life disaster. I lecture on the Eastland at schools, libraries, and on Haunted Chicago coach tours. I'm an active member of a Barnes & Noble critique group. I blog at www.mariancheatham.com.

I live in a suburb of Chicago with my family and our menagerie of pets.


Blitz-wide giveaway Open to US and Canada: A signed paperback of Ruined and a new DVD of the Kenneth Branagh/Emma Thompson movie version of Much Ado About Nothing. 

Cover Reveal: Supernatural Enforcement Bureau by A.K. Michaels




Cover Reveal: Open Road Anthology



Nine authors come together to bring you this boxed set:

Open Road - A Bikers Anthology

Release Anticipated 1st week September 2014
All proceeds go to the Charity - Toys for Tots

Blurb:

EIGHT Biker Books from nine authors make up this Bikers Anthology. All full length novels make up this Biker Anthology Boxed set.  

Individual Blurb:

Chelle Bliss – Throttle Me

Suzy’s a control freak and has her life mapped out - work hard, find a man with a stable job, and live happily ever after. She’s content with the status quo, but her plan comes to a screeching halt when he enters her life and turns it upside down. City gave up on love when his heart was crushed in college, preferring to be the typical bachelor. He spends his nights hopping from one bed to another and his days working at his family tattoo shop, Inked. A chance encounter on a dark road makes him question what he had sworn off forever – a relationship. A night of passion and lust causes them to question everything. Is City the knight in shining armor to the damsel in distress? Can their relationship survive when a fantasy falls apart and a secret comes out that changes everything? This is the first book in the Men of Inked Series.
*****

Dawn Martens and Emily Minton - Renegade Lady

Jenna “Ice” Chandler grew up as part of a motorcycle club. She considered it her home, until one wrong move made it her prison. After months of abuse, she is rescued by Chipper, who takes her to Big Clifty, Missouri, home of the Renegade Sons MC. Kiddrick “Kidd” Jones is the president of the Renegades. He knows there is something special about Ice the moment his older brother, Chipper, brings her into the club, but stays away, because she is too young. When time comes for Ice to take her place in the club, she has two choices, become an old lady or a club whore. Not believing in love and knowing a man can never be faithful, she decides to earn her spot on her back. With each passing year, Kidd's feelings for Ice grows and the urge to make her his becomes stronger. Frustrated and jealous, he finally decides it’s time to make her his. Will Ice finally thaw out and give love a chance, or is Kidd fighting a losing battle? WARNING: Renegade Lady contains adult situations some readers may find offensive. This is a raw and gritty story involving explicit sex, graphic language, violence and drug use. Not intended for readers under 18.
*****

Nina Levine - Fierce (Storm MC #2)

She's everything he's never wanted. He's everything she's never known. Scott Cole is a force to be reckoned with. As Vice President of the Storm Motorcycle Club he carries out his duties with a ruthless determination. He moves through life with a clear agenda - protect his club and his family at all costs. He is intense. He is loyal. He is fierce. He doesn't give his love easily, but when he does, he loves fiercely. Settling down, however, has never been part of his plan. Harlow James is a country girl who has never met a biker in her life. She is also done with men. In her experience all they ever do is lie, cheat or steal. When she meets Scott Cole she knows he is heartbreak on legs. He is confident. He is sexy. He is bossy. She knows she must fight her growing attraction to this complex man in order to guard her heart. When his world crashes into hers and danger comes calling, Scott's fierce desire to protect kicks in and Harlow realises that she might just have found a man worth taking a risk on.
*****

Jani Kay - The Beginning

THE BEGINNING - A Duet: Ryder & Two Worlds Colliding is a compilation of TWO books that starts off the Scorpio Stinger Series. It contains: Ryder (Prequel) Book 0.5 Two Worlds Colliding Book 1 Bonus Chapters 1 - 5 of Razor & Lexi's story (NEW material never seen before) (That's over 95 Thousand Words) The Princess & The Biker A modern day Romeo & Juliet story. Ryder Knox wants freedom from the hatred churning in his gut. Saved by the Scorpio Stingers MC boys, he owes his life and allegiance to them—they are his family. He doesn’t need a smart mouthed woman who pushes every one of his buttons. But he can’t get Jade out of his head. Jade Summers is a good girl. She wants a man just like her lawyer daddy. Not the alpha male, cocky biker who storms into her life, who looks like a sex god with tattoos and piercings. He’s demanding, controlling and won’t take no for an answer. Their chemistry is off the charts and they are drawn to one another like magnets. Neither can resist the other. Two worlds collide. Their families are determined to tear them apart. With everything stacked against them, is what they have strong enough to overcome the odds? They must choose: family or one another. The ultimate price may be too high. Will their polar opposite worlds destroy and rip them apart forever? WARNING!!! Extreme language and sexual situations. Recommended 18+ This book is intended for mature audiences (18+) who are not offended or squeamish about extreme language or graphic sexual situations (including rape scenes).
***

A.C Bextor - Holding On

This novel contains material that is not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. Content includes: drug use, explicit language, violence, rape, and other scenarios with content that readers may find offensive. Please use caution when deciding on this book, as every reader has the right to understand the product before purchase. This book is one of two and does not contain an exact HEA as the reader may expect, yet. “You are mine. You’ve been mine since you took those training wheels off that pink bike of yours and fell at my feet. Never even cried, you didn’t. Just sat on my lap trusting that I had you. Well I have you now, baby. You’re grown up, you’re a woman, and you’re mine. Mine.” That’s Shame. My brothers best friend and the Vice President of Lights of Peril MC. Along with my best friend Sadey, we’ve all grown up together. I don’t have a memory that isn’t surrounded by the four of us. Years together as friends and often times in the face of adversity has led Shame, Hem, Mace, and Sadey to share their lives now as adults. Sadey and Mace have been best friends since they were five years old. As a child, teenager, and then young woman, Sadey longed for Hem to notice her. As years passed, she vowed to save all of herself for him with the hope that one day he would see her as the woman she was turning herself into, not just the child he remembers. Mace and Hem are siblings that grew up in a small town in the Midwest. Sharing the same mother, Mace’s father refuses to accept Hem as his own, leading him to a life similar to that of his biological father. Hem never set out to be President of the Lights of Peril Motorcycle Club, but when he left home at 17 to find the acceptance he was so desperate for, he ended up finding Doc. After Doc's passing Hem was determined to lead Peril into a clean existence. The story is about love, heartache, and tragedy. Sometimes we search our whole lives for something we think we are missing, only to find out what we had with us is what we were looking for all along.
*****

Ryan Michele - Ravage Me

After spending the last two years stuck behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit, Harlow ‘Princess’ Gavelson’s time inside has finally come to an end, and she’s ready for revenge. Unfortunately, being the daughter to the Vice President of the Ravage Motorcycle Club cuts into her plans, as orders must be followed. Trying to settle back into this life is proving difficult when the tables are turned and the woman who framed her is out for blood. Lucky for Princess, growing up in a MC has taught her how to hold her own. After spending years in hell overseas, Donavon ‘Cruz’ came home to lose the very thing he went into hell for, sending him to the darkest moments of his life. Joining Ravage two years ago was his safe haven, and he protects his family at all costs. When a dark-haired bombshell struts into the club’s shop, he’s caught off guard but immediately knows she’s the one he’d do anything for. Tough as nails, and taking no crap from anyone, he’s captivated by a woman who could handle this life. Trying to meet the needs of the MC business and follow his heart proves to be difficult when the two collide, and lives are at stake. Can these two find a way to be together, or will the needs of Ravage cost them everything, including their lives? *Contains mature content including, sex and violence. Mature audiences only.*
*****

Glenna Maynard - Grim

My name is Grim and this is the beginning... This isn't a fairytale romance or for the faint of heart. Deep in the hills of Drag Creek Kentucky, there is a group of outlaws, whose love of moonshine and Harley Davidson runs through their blood. We are known as the Black Rebel Riders' MC. For the past twenty years my club has been at war with a rival MC, The Devil's Rejects.
*****

Lila Rose - Holding Out

Zara Edgingway is a twenty-six year old secretary. She has a daughter that apparently knows it all and a best friend that could possibly have the mouth of Satan, but she's been with her through hell and back. Then there's the hunk'a'licious biker neighbor finally showing interest in her. If only she wasn't about to face her next obstacle in life, the one she ran from six years ago; her ex-husband. Talon Marcus is the president of the Hawks Motorcycle Club. For two years he's had his eye on the quiet, reclusive, yet sassy, neighbor Zara. Finally, he has the chance to claim her as his woman. Just when her past catches up with her, she'll need, not only his protection, but the help from his biker brothers.
Now, if only she'd stop fighting him along the way.

Individual Book Covers









Book Blast & Review - Fractured Dream KM Randall


 

Fractured Dream by KM Randall

Published by: Booktrope

Published On: June 21, 2014

Genre: Fantasy


Blurb:

Have you ever wondered where fairytales go once they're created?

It's been eight years since Story Sparks last had a dream. Now they're back, tormenting her as nightmares she can't remember upon waking. The black waters of Lake Sandeen, where her Uncle Peter disappeared decades before, may hold the secret to Story's hidden memories, or a truth she'd rather not know. On a bright summer afternoon, Story and her two best friends, Elliott and Adam, take a hike to the lake, where they dive into the cool water and never reemerge. What they find is beyond anything they've ever imagined could be possible, a world where dangers lurk in the form of Big Bad Wolves, living Nightmares and meddlesome witches and gods.

Now Story must remember who she really is and somehow stop two worlds from ultimate annihilation, all while trying not to be too
distracted by the inexplicable pull she feels toward a certain dark-eyed traveler who seems to have secrets of his own. The fates of the worlds are counting on her.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes


Book Review:

A book review is going to be difficult for me to do for this book. I mean, I think I just read one of the most amazing books I have ever read my entire life, and trust me when I tell you that is a lot of books. Fractured Dreams captured my heart and I hungered for more and more with every turn of the page as I wanted, no needed, to know what happened next. The plot was original, the characters love able and with twists and turns I wasn't sure what would happen next. The only thing I didn't like was the info dump. I felt lily there a little too much unnecessary information at times, the story could had continued without some of it. All in all, I loved this book and I can't wait for the next one! 


About the Author


As a girl, K.M. always wished she’d suddenly come into magical powers or cross over into a Faerie circle. Although that has yet to happen, she instead lives vicariously through the characters she creates in writing fantasy and delving into the paranormal. When K.M. is not busy writing her next novel, she is the editor-in-chief of a blog covering the media industry, as well as an editor with BooktropePublishing. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in English-Lit from Nazareth College of Rochester. K.M. lives in Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region with her husband and her extremely energetic little boy. Fractured Dream is her first novel.

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